My Cyprus Travel Guide: 5 amazing things to do
After taking hundreds of trips to 79 (and counting!) countries and territories, it’s difficult to find a truly unique holiday spot, and Cyprus delivered!
Here are the highlights from our fab little trip to Cyprus including what we found, where we stayed, and 5 amazing places to see.
What we found: A true meze of sites, flavours and cultures
We came here for the bucketlist scuba dives but found much more: ancient sites, coastal walks, hillside villages, lush vineyards and food – so much yummy food at every meal!
For me, the meze of cultures has been as fab as the meze of flavours. This rich land and strategic location between Europe and the Middle East has made Cyprus a sought after prize for the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Venetians, Turks and the British, all of whom have left their impression on the island with such a rich result.
If I’m being critical, compared to other travel options, the streets weren’t as picturesque as some of the Greek islands I’ve seen, and it wasn’t as exotic as the Middle Eastern counties I’ve visited. Plus, the period of British rule means almost everyone spoke excellent English, which is quite convenient but perhaps dampens the adventure a bit. However, the combination of all those things was what made it charming. I found Cyprus welcoming and fascinating – and very good value for money. It was a lovely couples escape, and I would def return!!
And speaking of couples escapes, here’s a fun fact: Legend has it that Cyprus is the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love. How fun is that?!?
Where we stayed — Larnaca!
Many of the travel guides suggested a tour around the island, staying in a number of different spots, so that’s def something to consider. Perhaps if we hadn’t been there to dive we might have done that. In the end we decided to base ourselves in Larnaca for the week and take day trips from there. I’ll be honest — A LOT of the research I did raved about other spots over Larnaca, especially if you want a beach resort, but for us Lanarca was perfect.
It’s hands down the best location for diving the Zenobia (which is practically in the harbour!), with lots of history to explore in town and it’s driving distance from even more interesting sites and good food – plus we found a great hotel at a reasonable price.
Hotel Indigo is very definitely a city hotel, not a beach resort, and it’s adults only – all of which work well for us but not for everyone. They had comfortable air-conditioned, modern rooms, a great restaurant on a lovely terrace and a swanky rooftop pool. I’m always a sucker for a rooftop pool, and this one came with tableside bar service to compliment the view across the rooftops and out to the sea. The hotel is less than a 10 minute walk to the old town and the oceanside promenade, so there were plenty of food, drinks and activity options on our doorstep. And I loved the infused water waiting for us each time we walked in!
What we did – Day excursions!
If you want to experience Cyprus I’d recommend hiring a car. Of course, you don’t have to! There are plenty of organised tours and decent public transport. But, we were super grateful for the freedom a car provided. The car rental shops located at the Larnaca airport are open 24/7 so no worries about timing if you book with one of them. And for us, the Indigo Hotel provided free parking right outside the front door. That wasn’t the case for all hotels so def look into that.
Diving is UK style (on the left side of the road) and we found our destinations with ease. You really do need a smart phone for directions though, as the signs are often not in English, and even if they are there are often multiple English spellings of Cypriot words!
So here are my top five day trips:
Lazarus’ Larnaca
Even of you’re not staying in Larnaca , it’s worthy of a day trip. The main highlight for me was the beautiful Church of Saint Lazarus. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, after Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, he was forced to flee Judea and came to Cyprus, where he was named by the Apostle Paul as the first Bishop of Kition (now Larnaca). Gotta love a church with beauty and history!
Speaking of churches and history, here’s a fun fact: Did you know Cyprus is the only foreign country ever to host a British Royal Wedding?!? Turns out in 1191 King Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre here in Cyprus on his way to a Crusade. At the wedding feast, they served the local Commandaria wine which Richard called ‘the wine of kings and the king of wines.’
There was also no shortage of great food both in the Old Town and along the beach promenade. Some of my fave feasts in Larnaca included:
- For traditional Cypriot – Stou Roushia Tavern
- For traditional Greek – Ithaki Garden
- For posh Greek – SeaNatra
- For brunch – Edem’s Yard
- For a bakery – Chrysanthis
Seas the day in Ayia Napa
Took a little day trip to Ayia Napa with a stop at the Sea Caves for some to-die-for views. Do not miss this!
The walk along the cliff is lovely but you can also climb down to the caves, and even further down to the crystal clear water below, which I highly recommend. There’s even a rope along the rocks to help with the climb. Or, of course you can jump if you dare!
If you’re in the area I also highly recommend lunch at nearby Spartiatis restaurant for incredible seafood with an incredible view. Do try to book so that you can get an end table for some serious sea-gazing with your feast. So yum!
For more sun, our next stop was Konnos Beach (directly below Spartiatis). Everyone raves about Nissi Beach which is great but Konnos for me was better! Def a day to remember.
I even learned a new fun fact: Did you know Cyprus consistently ranks first in the EU for cleanest beaches?!? Judging by this day trip I totally believe it.
Kourion my wayward son
Another great day trip in Cyprus, this time to the site of the ancient city of Kourion. Very cool!! With sweeping views and links back to some of the world’s oldest civilisations it was a highlight for me, and we practically had the place to ourselves! We came, we saw, we Kourion LOL
On the drive back to Larnaca we stopped for lunch at Tochni Tavern overlooking the lovely hillside village of Tochni, which I would also highly recommend. LOVED the yummy meze, and OMG that view!! A def hidden gem (though not so hidden from locals so be sure to book, especially if you want a table on the terrace).
Speaking of history and gems, I learned a new fun fact: Did you know Mark Anthony gave Cyprus to his girl Cleopatra as a gift?!? Some may prefer jewels, but I’d take an island any day!
On cloud wine
I LOVED our drive through the Troodos mountains in Cyprus – what a great day!!
A highlight for me was strolling through the village of Omodos with a lovely monastery and winding cobblestone streets full of pretty houses and more cafes than I could sample. I did my best tho, and particularly loved sampling the local food and wine prepared in traditional ways dating back hundreds of years.
We paused at other villages and wineries along the way with a nice long pause at the second highlight of the day — dreamy Tsiakkas winery — yum! I’m looking forward to enjoying more of their wine that’s now tucked away in my suitcase (though it will be tough to recreate a view like this!) Def a day to remember.
Speaking of special days, here’s a fun fact: Did you know the oldest named and continuously produced wine in the world is from Cyprus?!? The dessert wine Commandaria dates back thousands of years and is delicious!!
Here’s to special days and special wines!
Finding my Zen
Diving the Zenobia wreck is the reason we came to Cyprus. It’s regularly named in the top 10 wreck dives in the world, and def did not disappoint!
It’s a huge ferry that sank just off the coast of Larnaca on its maiden voyage from Sweden to the Middle East. Luckily, the crew was saved but much of the cargo is still on board, making it a fun ship to explore. It’s deep – and it’s dark – so def advanced diving, but if you like wrecks you’ll love the Zen!
We dove with Dive In Larnaca who I would happily recommend and did 4 dives there – the first was exploring the outside of the ship, the rest were exploring different sections inside. Totally fun!!
And here’s a fun fact: Cyprus gets more than 300 days of sunshine each year, so whether you’re diving the Zen or just finding your zen at the beach, it’s bound to be a gorgeous day!
CONCLUSION:
I hope this guide has inspired you to explore Cyprus!! We spent a week there and could easily have stayed for longer. A great trip and great value for money!
